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ALFRED SCHW F JOPLIN, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 METALS RECOVERY COMPANY OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

. PROCESS OF EEFECTING THE SELECTIVE FLOTATION OF MINERAIS.

I T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it lmownf ftliat I, ALFRED SCHWARZ, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, resid- L nag. at Joplin; in the county of Jasper, State 'ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Efiecting the Selective Flotation of Minerals; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. v

This invention'relates to the concentration of minerals by flotation, and more particularly to a selective method of effecting the flotation and separation of minerals.

The present invention is based upon the discovery that .by the use of phenol, for example, carbolic acid, together with a small amount of a resin soap solution, it is possible to effect the selective flotation of one mineral from another, for example, lead sulfid from zinc sulfid, where the ore pulp is of an alkaline or neutral character; and that the zinc sulfid may be subsequently recovered by flotation, by a pro er modification of the conditions under which the flotation is carried out.

The invention will be described more in detail in connection with the following s ecific instances of its application, but it wil be understood that the invention will be illustrated by, but is not limited'to, the specific procedures and processes thus described.

In order to effect the selective flotation of lead sulfid without separating the zinc sulfid, and thereafter effect the flotation of the zinc sulfid from the gangue, the following procedure may be followed:

A suitable lead-zinc sulfid, of the Missouri lead zinc district, is first subjected to flotation with the addition thereto ofaphenol, such as carbolic acid, and a resin soap solution. For one ton of the ore. there may thus be added two poundsof carbolic acid and one-half pound of a resin soap solution containing about 2% of resin, 1% of caustic soda and 97% water. Such a resin soap solution may be made by boiling the resin. caustic soda and water for a suflicient period of time to bring the resin into solution and to give a solution which remains permanent on cooling.

The proportions of the ingredients of the Specification of Letters Patent.

resin solution, as well as the proportions of the solution and carbolic acid or other phenol to the ore, can, of course, be varied; but the abovejproportlons are those which Ihave found: well adapted for effecting the desired selective flotation of the lead from the zinc.

Theore is utilized in the form of an ore pulp which will usually contain about three to five parts of water to one part of ore. The phenol and the resin solution are incorporated therewith and the ore is then subjected to a flotation treatment in any suitable type of flotation machine. I consider a Y pneumatlc machine of the type of the Callow cell particularly adapted for the practice of the process since by its use the desired selective flotation can be readily efl'ected. If too Patented Oct. '7', rain.

Application filed June 5, 1918. Serial No. 238,280.

much agitation is used, the zinc will also tend to float and thus become mixed with By proceeding in the manner above described, the lead can be obtained in the form of a concentrate and approximately complete extraction of the lead. effected.

Thereafter, the ore pulp maybe subjected to a further treatment for the purpose of separating the zinc from the gangue. Various methods of procedure may be followed in efi ecting this separation. I have, however, found it of advantage to make use of further amounts of the resin solution, and to give to the pulp an acid condition. There may thus be added to the ore pulp, after the separation of the lead, about ten pounds of the resin soap per ton of ore, and sufficient acid to establish an acid condition in the circuit water. The amount of acid may vary "rom, for example, 5 to 10 pounds per ton of ore,

may thus be made in the first machine, or

in the first machines of the series, and the zinc flotation in the subsequent machines.

The intermediate machines may be employed for handling middling products in much the usual manner. 7

From the above specific description it will be seen that the separation of the lead is I first effected by the addition of a phenol and a small amount of resin soap in an alkaline solution; and that thereafter the lead is separated by flotation after the addition to a large extent, from iron sulfid present in the ore.- There is thus obtained a selective separation of the zinc from iron, as Well as of lead from zinc, something which is highly desirable in order to obtain both lead and zinc concentrates in acondition adapting them for treatment.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is: v

1. The method'of effecting the selective I separation of lead and zinc sulfids from mineral pulps containing them, which comprises incorporating with the mineral pulp a small amount of a phenol and of a resin soap solution and subjecting the pulp, While nonacid, to a flotation operation and thereby effecting the selective flotation of the lead sulfid, subsequently adding an acid to give o the ore pulp an acid-reaction, and again subjecting the pulp to a flotation operation and effecting flotation of the zinc sulfid.

The method of effecting the selective separation of lead and zinc sulfids from further metallurgical mineral pulps containing them, Which C0111- prises incorporating with the mineral pulp a small amount of a phenol and of a resin soap solution and subjecting the pulp, while nonacid, to a flotation operation, and thereby eflecting the selective flotation of the lead sulfid, then adding further amounts of resin soap solution and acid and subjecting the ore pulp to a further flotation operation and effecting flotation of the zinc sulfid.

3. The method of effecting the selective separation by flotation of lead and zinc sulfids from mineral pulps containing them, which comprises incorporating with the mineral pulp a small amount of a phenol and of a resin soap solution, and subjecting the ore pulp, While in an alkaline condition, to a flotation operation, and thereby effecting flotation of the lead sulfid, thereafter adding further amounts of resin soap solution and sufficient acid to give an acid reaction to the pulp, and subjecting the pulp to a further flotation operation and thereby effecting flotation of the zinc sulfld.

4. The method of effecting the selective separation of lead and zincsulflds from mineral pulps containing them and also containing iron sulfid, which comprises incorporating With the mineral pulp a small amount of a phenol and of a resin soap solution and subjecting the vpulp, While nonacid, to a flotation operation, thereby eflecting the selective flotation of the lead sulfid, then adding further amounts of resin soap and sufficient acid to give to'the ore pulp an acid reaction, 'and again subjecting the pulp to a flotation operation, and thereby effecting flotation of the zinc sulfld from the iron sulfid.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ALFRED SCHWARZ. 

